The Ba’al T’file’s Blog

Shabbos Morning Nusakh Learning Service

It's been a while since my last blog entry. Since I've come back from Klezmerquerque, I've had the opportunity to lead my learning service for Shabbos morning twice more, at Temple Israel in Athol in April, and this past Shabbos at Temple Israel in Greenfield. Both times I have been delighted by the interest and participation of the daveners. We worked on a small selection of prayers and it began to feel like a unified whole, rather than a khazn performing for an audience.

Participants asked if they could have recordings of the nusakh so here's where to look. Some of the examples can be found in my Ba'al T'file Blog #2 and some new examples are here. It was very convenient that I had, only a few weeks before, recorded these examples for my daughter to use to study for her bas mitzve.

The first example is the beginning of the Amida, The paragraph called the oves (avot) in adoshem molokh mode which is a major scale with a flatted seventh, followed by m'khalkeyl khayim b'khesed which is in ahavo rabo (also known as freygish) mode - a major scale with a flatted second.

Amida: Oves and M'khalkeyl

This is the complete ba'al t'file's part of the Kedusho with cues for the congregation's part.

Shakharis Kedusho

And this is V'shomru in Ahavo Rabo mode which can be sung for Shabbos morning Kiddush and/or during the repetition of the Musaf Amida.

Veshomru

A group of people studying for their adult bar/bas mitzves attended the Greenfield learning service last week. I expect to lead traditional Ashkenazic style services at Temple Israel in Greenfield more often this year, so you'll have a chance to practice.

In preparation for the August Shabbos Morning Learning Service at Temple Israel of Greenfield at 10 am on August 13th, 2011, I'm putting another file below. This is Eyl Odon using the melody I learned as a child that was taught at the July session. Eyl Odon appears earlier in the service, between Bor'khu and the Sh'ma.

Yosl (Joe) Kurland leads services at Temple Israel in Athol as well as at Temple Israel in Greenfield every Rosh Hashannah and Yom Kippur. He also often leads part of the service at Shabbatons at both Temples.. He is the lead singer with the Wholesale Klezmer Band, and prints ketubot (Jewish marriage contracts) for his wife, Calligrapher Peggy Davis. You may learn more about their work at their website, which ishttp://www.ganeydn.com.